DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/05/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 06/05/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-4 and 7-13 remain pending in the application. Applicant' s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every objection previously set forth in the Final Office Action mailed 03/06/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heinzelmann (DE 102013208211 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Heinzelmann discloses a gearwheel arrangement (see Fig. 4), comprising: a gearwheel (2) configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (see annotated Fig. 4 below; A), the gearwheel comprising a gearwheel body (see annotated Fig. 4 below; B) and an annular gear tooth section (see annotated Fig. 4 below; C) extending around the gearwheel body, the gear tooth section comprising a plurality of external gear teeth (12), wherein the gear tooth section includes an annular flange (see annotated Fig. 4 below; D) formed integrally with the gearwheel and delimiting at least one radially inwardly facing surface (see annotated Fig. 4 below; E) in an axial direction (see annotated Fig. 4 below; direction of A), wherein at least a part of the gear tooth section extends past a radially outer portion of the gearwheel body (see annotated Fig. 4 below; F) in an axial direction of the gearwheel (see annotated Fig. 4 below; direction along A), so that the at least one radially inwardly facing surface is provided opposite of the external gear teeth (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein E is provided opposite 12), means (internal cavity of 20, 22) for guiding a cooling fluid (4) toward the at least one radially inwardly facing surface so as to cool the gear tooth section during rotation of the gearwheel about the axis of rotation (via oil flow direction 6), wherein the annular flange controls a flow of the cooling fluid (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein D would inherently control the flow of cooling fluid 4), wherein the means for guiding the cooling fluid toward the at least one radially inwardly facing surface comprises a conduit (internal cavity of 20) having an outlet (22) arranged radially inside of the at least one radially inwardly facing surface (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein 22 is radially inside of E) and via which the cooling fluid may be provided to the at least one radially inwardly facing surface (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein cooling fluid 4 is provided to E via outlet 22 along flow path 6), wherein the outlet is configured to provide the cooling fluid radially inside of the annular gear tooth section such that, during rotation of the gearwheel, centrifugal forces force the cooling fluid radially outward onto the at least one radially inwardly facing surface (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein outlet 22 provides cooling fluid 4 radially inside of gear tooth section C such that during rotation, centrifugal forces force cooling fluid 4 onto the radially inwardly facing surface E), and wherein the conduit is arranged separately from the gearwheel (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein the internal cavity of 20 is arranged separately gearwheel 2), and wherein the annular gear tooth section of the gearwheel arrangement does not comprise any conduit or bore (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein the annular gear tooth section C does not comprise any conduit or bore), such that the cooling of the gear tooth section is achieved by retaining and distributing the cooling fluid along the at least one radially inwardly facing surface without the cooling fluid passing through the gearwheel (see annotated Fig. 4 below, wherein cooling fluid 4 is retained and distributed along the radially inwardly facing surface E without passing through the gearwheel).
Regarding claim 2, Heinzelmann discloses the at least one radially inwardly facing surface (see annotated Fig. 4 below; E) comprises a first annular surface extending between a first side surface of the gear tooth section (see annotated Fig. 4 below; G) and a first side surface of the gearwheel body (see annotated Fig. 4 below; H).
Regarding claim 4, Heinzelmann discloses the at least one radially inwardly facing surface (see annotated Fig. 4 below; E) forms part of at least one annular groove (groove in 16) extending around the axis of rotation (see annotated Fig. 4 below; A).
Regarding claim 7, Heinzelmann discloses the means (internal cavity of 20, 22) for guiding the cooling fluid (4) further comprises a pump (see attached English translations, page 2 paragraph 5, wherein a cooling oil flow by means of a pump is possible) for providing the cooling fluid to the outlet (22).
Regarding claim 8, Heinzelmann discloses a transmission for a vehicle (see attached English translation, page 2 paragraph 6, wherein a vehicle transmission is disclosed), the transmission comprising a shaft (20) extending in the axial direction (see annotated Fig. 4 below; direction of A) and the gearwheel arrangement according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 elsewhere above), the gearwheel of the gearwheel arrangement being provided on the shaft (see Fig. 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heinzelmann (DE 102013208211 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Heinzelmann fails to disclose the at least one radially inwardly facing surface further comprises a second annular surface extending between a second side surface of the gear tooth section and a second side surface of the gearwheel body, the first and the second annular surfaces being formed on axially opposite sides of the radially outer portion of the gearwheel body. However, it has been held that a duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). In this instance, providing a second annular surface on an axially opposite side of the radially outer portion of the gearwheel body would produce the expected result of providing cooling to the other side of the gear tooth section.
Claim 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Connolly (US 9828924 B1) in view of Heinzelmann (DE 102013208211 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Connolly discloses a powertrain of a vehicle (see Fig. 1, 10). Connolly fails to disclose the transmission according to claim 8. However, Heinzelmann teaches the transmission according to claim 8 (see rejection of claim 8 above). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Connolly with the transmission of claim 8, as taught by Heinzelmann, to provide a toothed component which allows improved heat dissipation in order thus to replace other cooling measures or at least to improve the heat dissipation in conjunction with further measures (see attached English translation, page 1 paragraph 5).
Regarding claim 10, Connolly discloses at least one electric machine (see Fig. 1; 26) configured for propulsion of the vehicle (see Fig. 1), and/or at least one other propulsion unit configured to be operated at a rotational speed to recover heat from exhaust.
Regarding claim 11, Connolly discloses a vehicle (see Fig. 1), a transmission (32) comprising a shaft (34) extending in the axial direction, and a powertrain (10) comprising at least one electric machine (26) configured for propulsion of the vehicle (see Fig. 1), and/or at least one other propulsion unit configured to be operated at a rotational speed. Connolly fails to disclose the gearwheel arrangement according to claim 1. However, Heinzelmann teaches the gearwheel arrangement according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Connolly with the transmission of claim 8, as taught by Heinzelmann, to provide a toothed component which allows improved heat dissipation in order thus to replace other cooling measures or at least to improve the heat dissipation in conjunction with further measures (see attached English translation, page 1 paragraph 5).
Regarding claim 12, Connolly teaches a powertrain of a vehicle (10). Connolly fails to disclose the gearwheel arrangement according to claim 1. However, Heinzelmann teaches the gearwheel arrangement according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Connolly with the transmission of claim 8, as taught by Heinzelmann, to provide a toothed component which allows improved heat dissipation in order thus to replace other cooling measures or at least to improve the heat dissipation in conjunction with further measures (see attached English translation, page 1 paragraph 5).
Regarding claim 13, Connolly discloses at least one electric machine (see Fig. 1; 26) configured for propulsion of the vehicle (see Fig. 1), and/or at least one other propulsion unit configured to be operated at a rotational speed to recover heat from exhaust.
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1 - DE 102013208211 A1 Fig. 4 Annotated
Conclusion
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/JOSEPH BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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